


If Love Was Red She Was Colorblind

by trekkielibrarian



Series: To the Moon and Back [1]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Awkwardness, Developing Relationship, Episode: s03e16 Blood Fever, F/M, Flirting, Friendship, Games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:08:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26116951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trekkielibrarian/pseuds/trekkielibrarian
Summary: B'Elanna is still a bit awkward about the events of Blood Fever and Tom gets some help from an unlikely source.
Relationships: Tom Paris/B'Elanna Torres
Series: To the Moon and Back [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1896376
Comments: 28
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Byrcca](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Byrcca/gifts).



> This is my first fic in twenty years or so, so bear with me as I get used to writing again.
> 
> Set two weeks after Blood Fever.

“Harry please, you’ve got to help.” Tom Paris begged his friend as they walked down the corridor. 

Harry Kim scoffed. “What? The great Tom Paris needing help? I can’t believe it!”

“Come on, Harry, she’s hardly speaking to me.” 

“What do you mean? She just talked to you.”

“Yeah, about conn reports. That was a staff meeting Harry, not a social call. She’s hardly said a word to me since Sakari. I thought things were getting better, but it’s been two weeks and she’s been nothing but professional. All I’m asking is you be there too-as a buffer.” 

“You seriously need a wingman?” Harry laughed. He never thought he’d see the day Tom Paris needed his help with a girl.

“Please? Just this once?” 

Harry knew the mission on Sakari had been eventful and a bit confusing for Tom and B’Elanna, to say the least. Both of them had mentioned things to him, in their own way, and he wasn’t sure what was happening between his two friends. But he was starting to see the glimmer of something. Half the ship was gossiping about it and making bets on if or when the pilot and engineer would actually acknowledge each other and go on a date or end up killing each other. Maybe if Harry helped his friends out, he could play it just right and line it up so he could win the betting pool….

“Alright. I’ll try my best. Meet me in the mess hall at 1900 hours.”

“Thanks Harry. I owe you one.” 

“I’ll put it on your tab.” Harry laughed as he watched his best friend head towards the turbolift. Now how to get B’Elanna to agree to this. 

********

“I’m busy Harry.”

“Come on B’Elanna. I know you’re on the Alpha shift and I’m pretty sure you don’t have plans for the evening.” 

B’Elanna looked up from her console to scowl at Harry. “How do you know I don’t have any plans?”

Okay, so he was right. She didn’t. She was going to sit in her quarters and curl up with a book. But Harry didn’t need to know that. She hadn’t been much for socialization lately. The mission on Sakari has scared her. She’d been to open, too vulnerable and she didn’t like it. But being alone with her thoughts was getting a bit boring and complicated, especially when those thoughts kept leading her to a certain blue-eyed pilot.

“It’s just that I really want to learn this new game, but Durotta is for two players and I need a good strategy partner.” Harry was hoping he could appeal to B’Elanna’s competitive nature by offering a new game to play. He knew she couldn’t resist a chance to beat him in anything.

“Why not get Tom to play?” B’Elanna asked, barely looking up from her workstation as she mentioned his name.

“He doesn’t have the patience.”

B’Elanna snorted a bit and then tried to cover it up. She took a step back and looked at Harry, his pleading puppy dog eyes, and his hopeful grin. She couldn’t say no to him.

“Oh, alright. I’ll learn your stupid game. But only because I’m sure I’ll win.” 

Harry smiled. He couldn’t believe he’d actually done it. Tom was going to owe him big time. Maybe he could convince him to give him some extra rations or holodeck time. “Great! See you in the mess hall, about 1900 hours?”

B’Elanna barely nodded and kept working, wondering what she had just gotten herself into.

*********

Tom impatiently waited outside the mess hall, peeking in every few seconds to see if he could make his move. He and Harry had planned it-Harry would go in first, then Tom would follow, making it look casual and then the three of them could sit down and enjoy a nice snack and conversation. It wouldn’t be so bad and B’Elanna would have to talk to him because Harry was there. It was a perfect plan. What could possibly go wrong?

**********

B’Elanna walked into the mess hall to find Harry setting up a complicated looking game with rectangular and cylindrical pieces. Harry looked up and eagerly waved her over. 

“Hi B’Elanna.” 

“Ok Ensign, tell me about this game.” B’Elanna was hoping they could finish it quickly so she would have enough time to sneak in at least a little bit of what M’Nea was going to do next to Rorg. She was just getting to the good part.

“Durotta is a game of skill and logic,” Harry started before looking up and almost shouting “Hey Tom, over here!” 

B’Elanna’s stomach jumped at the mention of his name. What was he doing here? Why couldn’t she avoid him just a little bit longer? And why did his blue eyes make her want to stay right here with him? She hated these indecisive unknown feelings inside of her and would much rather be at home where she could pretend to not think about the handsome and charming pilot and their last mission together.

“Hi Harry. Good evening, B’Elanna.” Tom smiled as he pulled over a chair and sat down across from her. He glanced at her and smiled slightly before turning his attention to Harry. “So Durotta, huh? I thought you hated this game.”

B’Elanna looked up quizzically at Harry and then at Tom. “I thought you said you wanted to learn…..” B’Elanna started. 

Harry blushed and stood up. “You know what? I just forgot something. Um, you two have fun and I’ll see you later, okay?”

B’Elanna looked from Harry to Tom and back to Harry and gave him what she hoped was the evilest glare. He had set her up. She can’t believe she fell for it! Harry quickly made his way to the door before looking back and winking at Tom-a wink that was not at all subtle. She glanced back at Tom and he shrugged his shoulders. She wasn’t convinced that he was completely innocent in this setup either. 

“I, umm…I should get going….” she started to say as she pushed her chair back. Tom reached out to stop her and gently brushed her hand before pulling his away. His touch made her shiver and she tried to hide the reaction. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he could do that to her. 

“B’Elanna, wait.” 

The tone of his voice made her pause and look at him. Those damn blue eyes. Why could she not resist them?

“Just stay for a minute. Start a fight with me, have a drink, play a game. Just stay. Please?”

It was the please that broke her. His soft voice, his gentle pleading. His please made her think that maybe he’d been as miserable as she’d been the past two weeks without their bickering and breakfast meet ups and bets and challenges. She wondered if he really had missed being with her-the look in his eyes almost made her believe it could be true.

“I miss hanging out. I miss talking to you. We have fun together and I’d like us be friends, just friends, no awkwardness.”

“I haven’t been awkward,” B’Elanna protested, even though she knew it wasn’t true. She just couldn’t help debate everything he said. Something about him riled her up and made her want to start a fight. It energized her and made her feel something. She liked that feeling of matching wits with him.

Tom just smirked at her-gosh she both hated and adored that smirk-and she sat back down. She could do this. She could be friends with him. She knew Tom Paris and she wasn’t one for one-night-stands and short term flings. There was no way he would want more from her and she was not about to be his next alien of the week. But friends-she could do friends. Friends was easy, casual.

“Ok,” she sighed. “Friends.” 

Tom smiled so broadly she couldn’t contain the same smile forming on her lips. 

“So, Harry convinced you to play durotta, huh? He is so bad at this game and he hates to lose.”

“I thought he said he’d never played it before.”

Tom laughed. “Oh no, Harry is the one who taught me how to play. He’s a great teacher, but a terrible player.” 

B’Elanna looked at Tom, a puzzled expression on her face. Harry already knew how to play? What had just happened? Had he really gotten Harry to set them up? Had the great Tom Paris needed help in getting her? No, it was too impossible to think of. Tom Paris could get any woman he wanted. But the way he was looking at her right now made her feel like no one else mattered. 

She took a deep breath and smiled. “So, tell me how to play.” 

********  
Tom smiled and silently thanked Harry. It hadn’t been his idea to have Harry run off, but he had to hand it to him. Harry Kim was turning out to be a pretty good wingman.


	2. The Right Kind of Pilot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set immediately after the previous chapter, Tom and B'Elanna keep playing games

B’Elanna had spent more time in the mess hall with Tom Paris than she had anticipated. The evening had worn on and she slowly forgave Harry for ditching them and setting her up. She had actually had fun and had enjoyed Tom’s company. He made her laugh and she was feeling more comfortable around him. The mission on Sakari had started to fade from her mind as they talked, yet not fully. She didn’t think she could forget the way it had felt to have him near her, the feel of his hands, and the softness of his lips….

“Something wrong, Lieutenant? You look a little flustered.” Tom’s voice interrupted her thoughts. 

“I’m not flustered. Just thinking about how I kicked your butt at durotta,” she quickly replied hoping the blush she felt on her checks wasn’t that obvious. 

Tom smiled and laughed as he walked next to her. They had finished several rounds of durotta and B’Elanna was a fast learner. She was great at strategy but she hadn’t been a match for Tom who seemed to know which move she would make before she made it. She found it infuriating and also incredibly attractive. Next time she would teach him one of her games so she could win.

Walking next to her as she made her way to the turbolift, Tom wasn’t quite ready for the evening to end, but he also knew he needed to take things slow. He could tell the pursuit of her heart was going to be a long game, but she was worth it. He could win her over, let her know he could care for her, that he already did care for her, and that he wanted to be with her every moment he could.

“Ah, next time I’ll teach you one of my favorite games. An old 20th-Century Earth game, Settlers of Catan. It’s full of strategy and planning and a bit of luck.”

B’Elanna paused and looked up at him with a smirk. 

“What makes you so sure there will be a next time, Lieutenant?" He didn't need to know she was already thinking of the next time, or even the time after that. She wouldn't let him know that she had very much enjoyed game night and would maybe even make it a regular thing if he asked. 

Tom flashed her his seductive grin that made her tingle inside all the way to her toes. How did he do that? 

“I have a feeling I can appeal to your competitive side. Plus, Harry is terrible at it. He always collects sheep even though they end up getting him nothing. It’s always fun to watch him try to negotiate and bluff his way through trades.” 

B’Elanna couldn’t help but chuckle. Harry was sometimes fun to tease. And she couldn’t deny her competitive nature was intrigued. 

The pair kept walking in silence. Tom knew better than to push her if she wasn’t going to say anything and the silence between them felt comfortable, not awkward and confusing like before. They reached the turbolift and stepped inside. 

“Deck 9,” B’Elanna announced and the turbolift began moving.

“Alright, next time we’ll play your stupid game. But you know how much I hate to lose,” B’Elanna sighed, staring at her shoes so Tom wouldn’t see the smile tugging at her lips. She’d let him win this round of their flirty back and forth and she’d play games with him again, but she didn’t have to give him the satisfaction of seeing her reaction. 

Tom almost jumped with excitement in his eagerness. “Great. I know you’ll like it. And I can’t wait to see Harry’s face when you just slaughter him.” 

They both laughed at that as the turbolift slowed to a stop.

B’Elanna started to head out and then stopped and looked back at Tom. 

“Goodnight, Tom. I…..” she paused a second to steady herself. She could admit that she had had a good time. She could do this. _Open up B’Elanna, she thought. 'Just let him in._

“I had a nice time tonight. Thanks.” 

She walked away before Tom could say anything and the turbolift doors started to close. She heard a sound stopping them and Tom’s voice calling after her.

“Tomorrow? 0700?” 

She looked back at him, confused.

“What?” 

“Breakfast. Tomorrow morning. I’m meeting Harry. Do you want to join us?” He knew if Harry were there, it would sound less like a date and more like friendly get together between friends. 'One careful step at a time,' he thought. But the way she looked at him just then, surprised and intrigued and maybe a hint of desire, made him think he could add just one more thing.

“I’ll replicate you some banana pancakes. They’re your favorite, right?”

“Yes….but how did you know that?”

Tom just winked. “I can’t give up my secrets. See you tomorrow,” he called as the doors shut.

B’Elanna’s face was puzzled as she turned and walked to her quarters. She hadn’t told Tom about her love for banana pancakes, had she? She had Susan Nicolleti had been talking about favorite Earth foods recently in engineering. She thought back to the conversation and realized Tom had walked in to share his conn report updates just as she was mentioning her grandma’s banana pancakes. He remembered these little things about her? What her favorite breakfast food was? Was he really paying attention to her that much?  
Two could play that game. She could find out small things about Tom Paris too. First thing she would do is look up this 20th-Century game he seemed to love so much and learn how to play. She would surprise him at how good she could be. This time around she would win.

**Author's Note:**

> I always thought it was odd we saw so much obvious flirtation and sexual tension between Tom and B'Elanna in Blood Fever, and then nothing for five episodes before we get major flirting in Real Life. I'm going to try and fill in those scenes. Hopefully this will be a series, but it may take me a long time to write it all. 
> 
> Title is in reference to the ultimate P/T song, To The Moon And Back by Savage Garden. Seriously, that song is of course about Tom and B'Elanna, you can't convince me otherwise.
> 
> This is for Byrrca because she didn't laugh when I gushed about a 25-year-old fandom and instead welcomed me into the collective. I am grateful.


End file.
